Issue of Shares

RNS Number : 9927Z

Brainspark PLC

23 March 2012

 



23 March 2012

Brainspark plc

("Brainspark" or "the Company")

Share Issues

Brainspark, the AIM listed investment company, is pleased to announce that further to the announcements of 28 June 2011, 19 October 2011, 8 November 2011 and 4 January 2012, the Company has issued, subject to admission to trading on AIM ("Admission"), a total of 29,690,000 new Brainspark ordinary shares of 2.5p each ("Ordinary Shares") to the vendors of You Can Group srl (the holding company for the Sosushi restaurant chain), ORH S.p.A (the holding company for the Ora Hotel Group) and to Regilco Srl (to purchase 10 villas on the Liscia di Vacca bay in Sardinia) and to a holder of Brainspark bonds.

In addition, Brainspark announces that it has agreed with a bond holder to convert bonds worth £2,824,800 including accrued interest into 8,070,857 new Ordinary Shares at 35 pence per share.

The Company has also agreed to issue 150,000 new Ordinary Shares to a consultant to the Company in lieu of fees.

Finally, the Company has agreed with Argentaria srl to reverse the acquisition of an office building in Milan and will not therefore issue the 5,000,000 new Ordinary Shares referred to in the announcement of 8 November 2011.

Application has been made for Admission of the 37,910,857 new Ordinary Shares which is expected to occur on 29 March 2012.

Alfredo Villa, CEO of Brainspark commented, "The Company has grown very quickly and acquired many new companies over the past 18 months, taking advantage of the lower valuations in the market created by current the economic downturn. As dictated by our investing strategy, the use of Brainspark shares instead of cash to acquire these assets has led to a large increase in our issued share capital. The Board remains confident that many of these assets will provide a good return on investment for the Company and is happy with its current portfolio of investments. We do not expect to make as many new investments in 2012, but rather use our resources to increase the value of the current portfolio.

"Finally, following the issue of these new shares, the ratio between the Company's market valuation and the net asset value of the portfolio is still very strong."

Total Voting Rights

Following Admission, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 69,972,710 Ordinary Shares with one voting right per share. There are no shares held in treasury. The total number of voting rights in the Company is therefore 69,972,710.

This figure of 69,972,710 ordinary shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

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For further information please contact:

Brainspark plc                                                                                                                               

Alfredo Villa, CEO                                                                                                 [phone]

Justin Drummond, Executive Chairman                                                     [phone]  

Westhouse Securities                                                                                 [phone]

Antonio Bossi

Jonathan Haines

Leander PR                                                                                                 [phone]

Christian Taylor-Wilkinson

About Brainspark Plc

Brainspark plc (AIM: BSP) is an AIM listed investment company pursuing a dynamic strategy to create a comprehensive portfolio of companies primarily encompassing the interactive media, leisure, entertainment and financial services sectors mainly in Italy but also other European countries. The company may be either a passive or active investor and Brainspark's investment rationale ranges from acquiring minority positions with strategic influence through to larger controlling positions.

 

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